2.
Welcomes the joint NGO statement and joint NGO commitment on
protected areas made at the seventh meeting of the Conference of
the Parties by international non-Governmental
organizations [63]/ to support the implementation of a
strong programme of work on protected areas under the CBD and looks
forward to receiving information on the progress made with respect
to their pledge;

3.
Also welcomes the
outputs of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress, in particular the
message from the Congress to the Convention on Biological
Diversity, and its contribution to the programme of work on
protected areas;

4.
Recalls the need to provide to developing countries, in
particular the least developed and small island developing States
among them, and countries with economies in transition adequate
funding to support the implementation of this programme of work in
accordance with Article 20 of the Convention;

5.
Recognizes that Parties should implement the programme of
work on protected areas, in the context of their nationally
determined priorities, capacities and needs. Activities implemented
domestically by Parties will be prioritized based on country and
regionally specific needs, national determination, legislation,
circumstances and priorities concerning protected areas issues, and
their national protected areas and biodiversity strategies.
Inclusion of an activity does not mean relevance of that activity
to all Parties;

6.
Emphasizes that the targets included in the programme of work
on protected areas provide a framework within which national and/or
regional targets may be developed and activities prioritized
according to national priorities and capacities and, taking into
account differences in protected areas and protected area systems
among countries;

7.
Invites and Governments to develop national and/or
regional targets, and, as appropriate, to incorporate them into
relevant plans, programmes and initiatives, including national
biodiversity strategies and action plans;

8.
Emphasizes the need for capacity-building, in developing
countries, particularly in the least developed and the small island
developing States amongst them, and countries with economies in
transition, in order to enable them to implement the programme of
work;

9.
Urges Parties, other Governments, and funding
organizations to mobilize as a matter of urgency through different
mechanisms adequate and timely financial resources for the
implementation of the programme of work by developing countries,
particularly in the least developed and the small island developing
States amongst them, countries with economies in transition,
in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, with special emphasis on those elements of the
programme of work requiring early action;

10.
Calls Parties to estimate the cost to implement the necessary
activities to meet the targets of the programme of work, review the
effectiveness in using existing financial resources and identify
the unmet costs and report back to COP8;

11.
Calls on Parties and development agencies to integrate within
their development strategies (such as country assistance
strategies, poverty reduction strategies and national development
strategies) protected area objectives and reflect the contributions
of protected areas to sustainable development, as a means to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals, in particular Goal 7 on
environmental sustainability;

12.
Underlines the importance of conservation of biological
diversity not only within but also outside protected areas by
promoting sustainable use of natural resources in order to achieve
a significant reduction of the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010
and therefore also calls for increased efforts to integrate
biodiversity conservation and restoration aspects into sectoral
policies and programmes;

13.
Invites Parties to consider options, in the context of
implementing the programme of work, such as ecological
networks[64]/, ecological corridors[65]/, buffer zones and other related approaches in order
to follow up the WSSD Plan of Implementation and the conclusions of
Inter-Sessional Meeting on the Multi-Year Programme of Work of the
Conference of the Parties up to 2010;

Status and trends
of, and threats to, protected areas

14.
Welcomes the work carried out by SBSTTA on documents on
status and trends of, and threats to, protected areas prepared by
the Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/9/5);

15.
Agrees that the
indicative list of categories set out in Annex I of the Convention
should guide the selection of protected areas and areas where
special measures need to be taken to conserve biological
diversity;

16.
Recognizes that, while the number and extent of protected
areas has been increasing in the past decades, so that around
11 per cent of the world's land surface is currently in
protected status, existing systems of protected areas are neither
representative of the world's ecosystems, nor do they
adequately address conservation of critical habitat types, biomes
and threatened species, and, with marine areas particularly
under-represented actions need to be taken to fill these
gaps;

17.
Recognizes that the
inadequacy of knowledge and awareness of the threat to, and the
role and value, of biodiversity, insufficient financial
sustainability and support, poor governance, ineffective management
and insufficient participation, pose fundamental barriers to
achieving the protected areas objectives of the Convention on
Biological Diversity and stresses the need for Parties to
adequately address these issues;

Overall
objective

18.
Adopts the
programme of work on protected areas annexed to the present
decision with the objective of the establishment and maintenance by
2010 for terrestrial and by 2012 for marine areas of comprehensive,
effectively managed, and ecologically representative national and
regional systems of protected areas that collectively, inter alia through a global network[66]/ contribute to achieving
the three objectives of the Convention and the 2010 target to
significantly reduce the current rate of biodiversity
loss;

19. Urges Parties
to achieve fully the goals and targets of the work programme while
recognizing that Parties should implement the activities of the
programme of work on protected areas, as annexed to the present
decision, in the context of their nationally determined priorities,
capacities and needs;

Programme of work

20.
Affirms that aspects related to marine and coastal protected
areas in decision VII/5 on marine and coastal biological diversity,
be considered an integral part of the Convention's work on
protected areas;

21.
Urges concerned Parties, individually and collectively, to
take further steps in curbing the illegal exploitation and trade of
resources, particularly from existing protected areas and from
areas of ecological importance for biodiversity
conservation;

22.
Recalls the obligations of Parties towards indigenous and
local communities in accordance with Article 8(j) and related
provisions and notes that the establishment,
management and monitoring of protected areas should take place with
the full and effective participation of, and full respect for the
rights of, indigenous and local communities consistent with
national law and applicable international obligations;

23. Urges Parties
to elaborate outcome-oriented targets for the extent,
representativeness and effectiveness of their national systems of
protected areas, taking into account the Strategic Plan of the
Convention the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, the Plan of
Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and
the Millennium Development Goals, as well as any targets adopted by
the Conference of the Parties to facilitate monitoring of the
progress towards achievement of the 2010 target;

24. Requests the
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
to provide scientific and technical advice on the implementation of
the programme of work. This work should draw inter alia upon
the input of Parties and other Governments, the work of relevant
United Nations organizations and conventions, the work of the IUCN
- World Commission on Protected Areas, the outcomes of the Fifth
IUCN World Congress on Protected Areas, and the work of relevant
indigenous and local communities, and non-Governmental
organizations;

25.
Decides to establish an ad hoc open ended working group on
protected areas to support and review implementation of the
programme of work and report to the Conference of the
Parties;

26.
Requests the Executive Secretary to make arrangements to
hold at least one meeting of the ad hoc open ended working group on
protected areas before COP8 subject to the availability of the
necessary voluntary contributions

27.
Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant
organizations to organize regional technical workshops to advance
implementation of and assess the progress in implementation of the
programme of work;

28. Decides to
assess at each meeting of the Conference of the Parties until 2010,
progress in the implementation of the programme of work, and to
determine the need for more effective measures and additional
financial and technical support; to reach the 2010
target;

29. Suggests the
following tasks need to be undertaken by the ad hoc open ended
working group

(a)
To explore options for cooperation for the establishment of marine
protected areas in marine areas beyond the limits of national
jurisdiction, consistent with international law, including the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and based on
scientific information;

(b)
To explore options for mobilizing as a
matter of urgency through different mechanisms adequate and timely
financial resources for the implementation of the programme of work
by developing countries, particularly in the least developed and
the small island developing States amongst them, countries with
economies in transition, in accordance with Article 20 of
the Convention, with special emphasis on
those elements of the programme of work requiring early
action;

(c)
To contribute to the further development of "tool kits"
for the identification, designation, management, monitoring and
evaluation of national and regional systems of protected areas,
including ecological networks, ecological corridors, buffer zones,
with special regard to indigenous and local communities and
stakeholder involvement and benefit sharing mechanisms;

(d)
To consider reports from the Parties, academia, and scientific
organizations, civil society and others on progress in the
implementation of the programme of work on protected areas,
compiled by the Executive Secretary;

(e)
To recommend to COP ways and means to improve implementation of the
programme of work on protected areas;

30.
Urges Parties and invites other Governments, and
relevant organizations to report to the Executive Secretary on
implementation of this decision and the programme of work prior to
each meeting of the Conference of the Parties until
2010;

31.
Recognizes the value of a single international
classification system for protected areas and the benefit of
providing information that is comparable across countries and
regions and therefore welcomes the ongoing efforts of the
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas to refine the IUCN system
of categories and encourages Parties, other Governments and
relevant organizations to assign protected-area management
categories to their protected areas, providing information
consistent with the refined IUCN categories for reporting
purposes;

32.
Invites the United Nations Environment Programme - World
Conservation Monitoring Centre working with international
organizations to further develop the World Database on Protected
Areas in order to assist the monitoring of progress towards the
overall objective of this decision, and urges Parties, other
Governments and relevant organizations to provide up-to-date
information for the Database;

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

33.
Requests the Executive
Secretary to update information on status and trends of, and
threats to, protected areas as part of the reviews of the
implementation of the thematic programmes of work, in collaboration
with Parties and relevant organizations, in particular the
IUCN-WCPA;

34.
Requests the Executive Secretary to strengthen collaboration
with other organizations, institutions and conventions with a view
to supporting implementation of the activities contained in the
programme of work, promoting synergies and avoiding unnecessary
duplications, and to establish a liaison group of relevant
organizations including the World Heritage Convention, the Ramsar
Convention on Wetlands, the Man and Biosphere programme of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, relevant regional conventions
and other organizations to facilitate this objective;

35. Further
requests the Executive Secretary to:

(a)
Compile information received from Parties, other Governments and
relevant organizations and bodies on the implementation of the
programme of work, and transmit this information to the ad hoc open
ended working group;

(b)
Establish in collaboration with the IUCN World Commission on
Protected Areas a roster of experts to help respond to requests by
Parties for assistance in implementing the programme of work on
protected areas and to draw on experts from this roster, at the
request of countries, to assist in the implementation of the
programme of work;

(c)
Undertake the suggested
supporting activities included in the programme of work.

1.
In situ conservation, sustainable use of biological diversity
and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use
of genetic resources are dependent upon properly maintaining
sufficient natural habitat. Protected areas, together with
conservation, sustainable use and restoration initiatives in the
wider land-and seascape are essential components in national and
global biodiversity conservation strategies. They provide a range
of goods and ecological services while preserving natural and
cultural heritage. They can contribute to poverty alleviation by
providing employment opportunities and livelihoods to people living
in and around them. In addition, they also provide opportunities
for research including for adaptive measures to cope with climate
change, environmental education, recreation and tourism. As a
result, most countries have developed a system of protected areas.
The protected-area network now covers about 11 per cent of
Earth's land surface. Less than 1 per cent of the
Earth's marine area is covered. The central role of protected
areas in implementing the objectives of the Convention has been
repeatedly emphasized in decisions of the Conference of Parties.
They form a vital element of the various thematic programmes of
work, namely, marine and coastal biological diversity, inland water
ecosystems biological diversity, dry and sub-humid lands biological
diversity, forest biological diversity and mountain biological
diversity.

2.
Given their many benefits, protected areas are
important instruments for meeting the Convention's targets of
significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.
However, according to the best available data on the status and
trends on protected areas (see UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/9/5), the current
global systems of protected areas are not sufficiently large,
sufficiently well-planned, nor sufficiently well-managed to
maximize their contribution to biodiversity conservation.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to take action to improve the
coverage, representativeness and management of protected areas
nationally, regionally and globally.

3.
The Convention on Biological Diversity works
with many partner organizations, conventions and initiatives in
facilitating conservation and sustainable use through protected
areas. These include the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
(WCPA); the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC);
the International Maritime Organization (IMO); the World Resources
Institute (WRI); The Nature Conservancy (TNC); the World Wide Fund
for Nature (WWF); the UNESCO Man and Biosphere programme (MAB); the
UNESCO World Heritage Convention; the Convention on Wetlands of
International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar
Convention); the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory
Species of Wild Animals and the associated agreements; the
Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES); (EU) the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF); the
Global Environment Facility (GEF), International Convention for
Regulation of Whaling (ICRW); Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO); UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS); indigenous organizations, other stakeholders and
industry; and various regional agreements and
programmes.

4.
The present programme of work on protected areas
features goals and activities that are specific to protected areas.
Some elements of existing programmes of work on forests, inland
waters, dry and sub-humid lands, coastal and marine and mountain
biological diversity as well as the Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation and the Global Taxonomy Initiative also apply to
protected areas. The goals and activities contained in these
existing programmes of work should also be applied and implemented,
as and whenever appropriate for their respective protected areas.
Other relevant guidelines developed under cross-cutting issues of
the CBD should also be taken into account when implementing the
programme of work.

5.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development, in
its Plan of Implementation, has stated that the achievement of the
2010 target requires new and additional financial and technical
resources for developing countries, and that the progress in
establishment and maintenance of a comprehensive, effectively
managed, and ecologically representative global system of protected
areas is of crucial importance for achieving the 2010 target. The
WSSD also called for provision of financial and technical support
for activities in this field, recognizing that funding for this
purpose generally should consist of a mixture of national and
international resources and include the whole range of possible
funding instruments such as public funding, debt for nature swaps,
private funding, remuneration from services provided by protected
areas, and taxes and fees at the national level for the use of
ecological services.

6.
The overall purpose of the programme of work on
protected areas is to support the establishment and maintenance by
2010 for terrestrial and by 2012 for marine areas of comprehensive,
effectively managed, and ecologically representative national and
regional systems of protected areas that collectively, inter
alia through a global network[67]contribute to achieving the three objectives of the
Convention and the 2010 target to significantly reduce the current
rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional, national and
sub-national levels and contribute to poverty reduction and the
pursuit of sustainable development, thereby supporting the
objectives of the Strategic Plan of the Convention, the World
Summit on Sustainable Development Plan of Implementation and the
Millennium Development Goals.

7.
The programme of work consists of four
interlinked elements intended to be mutually reinforcing and
cross-cutting in their implementation. It was developed bearing in
mind the need to avoid unnecessary duplication with existing
thematic work programmes and other ongoing initiatives of the
Convention on Biological Diversity, and to promote synergy and
coordination with relevant programmes of various international
organizations. Parties are encouraged to apply where appropriate
the objectives and activities from these thematic work programmes
and the work on cross-cutting issues.

8.
The Convention's work on protected areas
takes into account the ecosystem approach. The ecosystem approach
is the primary framework for action under the Convention, and its
application will help reach a balance between the three objectives
of the Convention. Multiple-use protected areas applied in an
ecosystem approach context can, for example, help meet specific
goals relating to conservation, sustainable use and the fair and
equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic
resources. The ecosystem approach provides a framework within which
the relationship of protected areas to the wider landscape and
seascape can be understood, and the goods and services flowing from
protected areas can be valued. In addition, the establishment and
management of protected area systems in the context of the
ecosystem approach should not simply be considered in national
terms, but where the relevant ecosystem extends beyond national
boundaries, in ecosystem or bioregional terms as well. This
presents a strong argument for and adds complexity to the
establishment of transboundary protected areas and protected areas
in marine areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. Any
work under this programme on marine and coastal protected areas
should be consistent with decision VII/5 on Marine and Coastal
biodiversity.

9.
The programme of work is intended to assist
Parties in establishing national programmes of work with targeted
goals, actions, specific actors, time frame, inputs and expected
measurable outputs. Parties may select from, adapt, and/or add to
the activities suggested in the current programme of work according
to particular national and local conditions and their level of
development. Implementation of this programme of work should take
into account the ecosystem approach of the Convention on Biological
Diversity. In implementing the programme of work, Parties are
encouraged to pay due regard to the social, economic and
environmental costs and benefits of various options. In addition,
Parties are encouraged to consider the use of appropriate
technologies, source of finance and technical cooperation, and to
ensure, through appropriate actions, the means to meet the
particular challenges and demands of their protected
areas.

10.
The implementation of the programme of work will
contribute to achieving the three objectives of the
Convention.

Goal 1.1 - To establish and
strengthen national and regional systems of protected areas
integrated into a global network as a contribution to globally
agreed goals

Target:
By 2010, terrestrially [68]/ and 2012 in the marine area, a global
network of comprehensive, representative and effectively managed
national and regional protected area system is established as a
contribution to (i) the goal of the Strategic Plan of the
Convention and the World Summit on Sustainable Development of
achieving a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss
by 2010; (ii) the Millennium Development Goals - particularly
goal 7 on ensuring environmental sustainability; and (iii) the
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

1.1.1 By
2006, establish suitable time-bound and measurable national and
regional level protected area targets and
indicators.

1.1.2 As a matter of urgency, by
2006, take action to establish or expand protected areas in any
large, intact or relatively unfragmented or highly irreplaceable
natural areas, or areas under high threat, as well as areas
securing the most threatened species in the context of national
priorities[69], and taking
into consideration the conservation needs of migratory
species.

1.1.3
As a matter of urgency, by 2006 terrestrially and by 2008 in the
marine environment, take action to address the under-representation
of marine and inland water ecosystems in existing national and
regional systems of protected areas, taking into account marine
ecosystems beyond areas of national jurisdiction in accordance with
applicable international law, and transboundary inland water
ecosystems.

1.1.4 By
2006, conduct, with the full and effective participation of
indigenous and local communities and relevant stakeholders,
national-level reviews of existing and potential forms of
conservation, and their suitability for achieving biodiversity
conservation goals, including innovative types of governance for
protected areas that need to be recognized and promoted through
legal, policy, financial institutional and community mechanisms,
such as protected areas run by Government agencies at various
levels, co-managed protected areas, private protected areas,
indigenous and local community conserved areas.

1.1.5 By
2006 complete protected area system gap analyses at national and
regional levels based on the requirements for representative
systems of protected areas that adequately conserve terrestrial,
marine and inland water biodiversity and ecosystems. National plans
should also be developed to provide interim measures to protect
highly threatened or highly valued areas wherever this is
necessary. Gap analyses should take into account Annex I of the
Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant criteria such
as irreplaceability of target biodiversity components, minimum
effective size and viability requirements, species migration
requirements, integrity, ecological processes and ecosystem
services.

1.1.6 By
2009, designate the protected areas as identified through the
national or regional gap analysis (including precise maps) and
complete by 2010 terrestrially and 2012 in the marine environments
the establishment of comprehensive and ecologically representative
national and regional systems of protected areas.

1.1.7. Encourage the
establishment of protected areas that benefit indigenous and local
communities, including by respecting, preserving, and maintaining
their traditional knowledge in accordance with article 8(j) and
related provisions.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

1.1.8.
Identify options for quantitative
and qualitative protected areas targets and indicators that should
be used at the global level that could contribute to the 2010
target and the Millennium Development Goals.

1.1.9.
Invite relevant international and
regional organizations to offer their assistance to the Parties in
conducting national-level gap analyses.

1.1.10.
Compile and disseminate through the
clearing-house mechanism and other relevant media relevant
approaches, frameworks and tools for system planning and promote
and facilitate the exchange of experiences and lessons learned in
applying and adapting them to different ecological and social
settings.

Goal 1.2 - To integrate protected areas into
broader land- and seascapes and sectors so as to maintain
ecological structure and function

Target:
By 2015, all protected areas and protected
area systems are integrated into the wider land- and seascape, and
relevant sectors, by applying the ecosystem approach and taking
into account ecological connectivity[70]/ and the concept, where appropriate, of
ecological networks.

Suggested activities of
the Parties

1.2.1.
Evaluate by 2006 national and
sub-national experiences and lessons learned on specific efforts to
integrate protected areas into broader land- and seascapes and
sectoral plans and strategies such as poverty reduction
strategies.

1.2.2.
Identify and implement, by 2008,
practical steps for improving the integration of protected areas
into broader land- and seascapes, including policy, legal, planning
and other measures.

1.2.3.
Integrate regional, national and
sub-national systems of protected areas into broader land- and
seascape, inter alia by establishing and managing ecological
networks, ecological corridors[71]
and/or buffer zones, where
appropriate, to maintain ecological processes and also taking into
account the needs of migratory species.

1.2.4.
Develop tools of ecological
connectivity, such as ecological corridors, linking together
protected areas where necessary or beneficial as determined by
national priorities for the conservation of
biodiversity.

1.2.5.
Rehabilitate and restore habitats
and degraded ecosystems, as appropriate, as a contribution to
building ecological networks, ecological corridors and/or buffer
zones.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

1.2.6.
Encourage the organization of
regional and sub-regional workshops for the exchange of experiences
on integration of biodiversity and protected areas into relevant
sectoral and spatial plans.

1.2.7.
Compile and disseminate, using the
CHM and other media, case-studies of best practices and other
reports regarding the application of the ecosystem approach in
relation to protected areas at the international, regional,
national and sub-national levels.

Target:
Establish and strengthen by
2010/2012 [72]/ transboundary protected areas, other
forms of collaboration between neighbouring protected areas across
national boundaries and regional networks, to enhance the
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity,
implementing the ecosystem approach, and improving international
cooperation.

Suggested activities of the Parties

1.3.1
Collaborate with other parties and relevant partners to establish
effective regional networks of protected areas, particularly in
areas identified as common conservation priorities (e.g. barrier
reef systems, large scale river basins, mountain systems, large
remaining forest areas and critical habitat for endangered
species), and establish multi‑country coordination mechanisms
as appropriate to support the establishment and effective long term
management of such networks.

1.3.2
Collaborate with other Parties and relevant partners through the
United Nations Informal Consultative Process on the Law of the Sea
(UNICPOLOS) to establish and manage protected areas in marine areas
beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, in accordance with
international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the
Sea, and based on scientific information.

1.3.3
Establish, where appropriate, new TBPAs with adjacent Parties and
countries and strengthen effective collaborative management of
existing TBPAs.

1.3.4
Promote collaboration between protected areas across national
boundaries.

Suggested supporting activities of the Executive
Secretary

1.3.5
Collaborate and consult with relevant organizations and bodies for
developing guidelines for establishing transboundary protected
areas and collaborative management approaches, as appropriate, for
dissemination to Parties.

1.3.6
Compile and disseminate information on regional networks of
protected areas and transboundary protected areas, including, as
far as possible, their geographical distribution, their historical
background, their role and the partners involved.

1.3.7
Review the potential for regional cooperation under the Convention
on Migratory Species with a view to linking of protected area
networks across international boundaries and potentially beyond
national jurisdiction through the establishment of migratory
corridors for key species.

Target:
All protected areas to have effective
management in existence by 2012, using participatory and
science-based site planning processes that incorporate clear
biodiversity objectives, targets, management strategies and
monitoring programmes, drawing upon existing methodologies and a
long-term management plan with active stakeholder
involvement.

Suggested activities of
the Parties

1.4.1
Create a highly participatory process, involving indigenous and
local communities and relevant stakeholders, as part of site-based
planning in accordance with the ecosystem approach, and use
relevant ecological and socio-economic data required to develop
effective planning processes.

1.4.2
Identify appropriate measurable biodiversity conservation targets
for sites, drawing on criteria laid out in Annex I to the
Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant
criteria.

1.4.3
Include in the site-planning process an analysis of opportunities
for the protected area to contribute to conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity at local and regional scales as
well as an analysis of threats and means of addressing
them.

As appropriate, but no later than
2010, develop or update management plans for protected areas, built
on the above process, to better achieve the three objectives of the
Convention.

1.4.5
Integrate climate change adaptation measures in protected area
planning, management strategies, and in the design of protected
area systems.

1.4.6 Ensure
that protected areas are effectively managed or supervised through
staff that are well-trained and skilled, properly and appropriately
equipped, and supported, to carry out their fundamental role in the
management and conservation of protected areas.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

1.4.7
Compile and disseminate through the clearing-house mechanism
current relevant approaches, frameworks and tools for site planning
and promote and facilitate the exchange of experiences and lessons
learned in applying and adapting them in different ecological and
social settings.

1.4.8 Disseminate information
on successful management models of protected areas which serve to
further the three objective of the Convention and may also
contribute to poverty reduction and the pursuit of sustainable
development.

Goal 1.5 - To prevent and
mitigate the negative impacts of key threats to protected
areas

Target:
By 2008, effective mechanisms for
identifying and preventing, and/or mitigating the negative impacts
of key threats to protected areas are in place.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

1.5.1
Apply, as appropriate, timely environmental impact assessments to
any plan or project with the potential to have effects on protected
areas, and ensure timely information flow among all concerned
parties to that end, taking into account decision VI/7 A of the
Conference of the Parties on guidelines for incorporating
biodiversity related issues into environmental impact assessment
legislation and/or processes and in strategic environmental
assessments.

1.5.2 Develop by
2010 national approaches to liability and redress measures,
incorporating the polluter pays principle or other appropriate
mechanisms in relation to damages to protected areas.

1.5.3
Establish and implement measures for the rehabilitation and
restoration of the ecological integrity of protected
areas.

1.5.4 Take
measures to control risks associated with invasive alien species in
protected areas.

1.5.6
Develop policies, improve governance, and ensure enforcement of
urgent measures that can halt the illegal exploitation of resources
from protected areas, and strengthen international and regional
cooperation to eliminate illegal trade in such resources taking
into account sustainable customary resource use of indigenous and
local communities in accordance with article 10(c) of the
Convention.

1.5.8 Collaborate
with the International Association for Impact Assessment and other
relevant organizations on further development and refinement of the
impact assessment guidelines particularly to incorporate all stages
of environmental impact assessment processes in protected areas
taking into account the ecosystem approach.

1.5.9
Compile and disseminate through the clearing-house mechanism and
other means case studies, best practices and lessons learned in
mitigating the negative impacts of key threats and facilitate the
exchange of experiences.

Goal 2.1 - To promote equity and
benefit-sharing

Target:
Establish by 2008 mechanisms for the
equitable sharing of both costs and benefits arising from the
establishment and management of protected areas.

Suggested activities of the
Parties

2.1..
Assess the economic and
socio-cultural costs, benefits and impacts arising from the
establishment and maintenance of protected areas, particularly for
indigenous and local communities, and adjust policies to avoid and
mitigate negative impacts, and where appropriate compensate costs
and equitably share benefits in accordance with the national
legislation.

2.1.2.
Recognize and promote a broad set of
protected area governance types related to their potential for
achieving biodiversity conservation goals in accordance with the
Convention, which may include areas conserved by indigenous and
local communities and private nature reserves. The promotion of
these areas should be by legal and/or policy, financial and
community mechanisms.

2.1.3.
Establish policies and institutional
mechanisms with full participation of indigenous and local
communities, to facilitate the legal recognition and effective
management of indigenous and local community conserved areas in a
manner consistent with the goals of conserving both biodiversity
and the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and
local communities.

2.1.4.
Use social and economic benefits
generated by protected areas for poverty reduction, consistent with
protected-area management objectives.

2.1.5.
Engage indigenous and local
communities and relevant stakeholders in participatory planning and
governance, recalling the principles of the ecosystem
approach.

2.1.6.
Establish or strengthen national
policies to deal with access to genetic resources within protected
areas and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their
utilization, drawing upon the Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic
Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising
out of their Utilization as appropriate,.

Goal 2.2 - To enhance and
secure involvement of indigenous and local communities and relevant
stakeholders

Target:
Full and effective participation by
2008, of indigenous and local communities, in full respect of their
rights and recognition of their responsibilities, consistent with
national law and applicable international obligations, and the
participation of relevant stakeholders, in the management of
existing, and the establishment and management of new, protected
areas

Suggested
activities of the Parties

2.2.1.
Carry out participatory national reviews of the
status, needs and context-specific mechanisms for involving
stakeholders, ensuring gender and social equity, in protected areas
policy and management, at the level of national policy, protected
area systems and individual sites.

2.2.2
Implement specific plans and initiatives to effectively involve indigenous and local
communities, with respect for their rights consistent with national
legislation and applicable international obligations, and
stakeholders at all levels of protected areas planning,
establishment, governance and management, with particular emphasis
on identifying and removing barriers preventing adequate
participation.

2.2.3 Support
participatory assessment exercises among stakeholders to identify
and harness the wealth of knowledge, skills, resources and
institutions of importance for conservation that are available in
society.

2.2.4 Promote an
enabling environment (legislation, policies, capacities, and
resources) for the involvement of indigenous and local communities
and relevant stakeholders [73]/ in decision making, and the development of their
capacities and opportunities to establish and manage protected
areas, including community-conserved and private protected
areas.

2.2.5 Ensure that any
resettlement of indigenous communities as a consequence of the
establishment or management of protected areas will only take place
with their prior informed consent that may be given according to
national legislation and applicable international
obligations.

Suggested supporting activities of the
Executive Secretary

2.2.6 Make
available to Parties case-studies, advice on best practices and
other sources of information on stakeholder participation in
protected areas

2.2.7
Promote, through the CHM, technical publications and other means,
the international sharing of experience on effective mechanisms for
stakeholder involvement and governance types in conservation in
particular with regard to co-managed protected areas, indigenous
and local community conserved areas and private protected
areas.

Target:
By 2008 review and revise policies as
appropriate, including use of social and economic valuation and
incentives, to provide a supportive enabling environment for more
effective establishment and management of protected areas and
protected areas systems.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

3.1.1
By 2006, identify legislative and
institutional gaps and barriers that impede the effective
establishment and management of protected areas, and by 2009,
effectively address these gaps and barriers.

3.1.2
Conduct national-level assessments
of the contributions of protected areas, considering as
appropriate environmental services, to the country's economy
and culture, and to the achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals at the national level; and integrate the use of economic
valuation and natural resource accounting tools into national
planning processes in order to identify the hidden and non-hidden
economic benefits provided by protected areas and who appropriates
these benefits.

3.1.3
Harmonize sectoral policies and laws
to ensure that they support the conservation and effective
management of the protected area system.

3.1.4
Consider governance principles, such
as the rule of law, decentralization, participatory decision-making
mechanisms for accountability and equitable dispute resolution
institutions and procedures.

3.1.5
Identify and remove perverse
incentives and inconsistencies in sectoral policies that increase
pressure on protected areas, or take action to mitigate their
perverse effects. Whenever feasible, redirect these to positive
incentives for conservation.

3.1.6
Identify and establish positive
incentives that support the integrity and maintenance of protected
areas and the involvement of indigenous and local communities and
stakeholders in conservation.

3.1.8
Develop national incentive mechanisms and institutions and
legislative frameworks to support the establishment of the full
range of protected areas that achieve biodiversity conservation
objectives including on private lands and private reserves where
appropriate.

3.1.9
Identify and foster economic opportunities and markets at local,
national and international levels for goods and services produced
by protected areas and/or reliant on the ecosystem services that
protected areas provide, consistent with protected area objectives
and promote the equitable sharing of the benefits.

3.1.10 Develop necessary
mechanisms for institutions with responsibilities for conservation
of biological diversity at the regional, national and local level
to achieve institutional and financial sustainability.

3.1.11 Cooperate
with neighbouring countries to establish an enabling environment
for transboundary protected areas and for neighbouring protected
areas across national boundaries and other similar approaches
including regional networks.

Suggested supporting activities of the Executive
Secretary

3.1.12 In
collaboration with key partners such as OECD, IUCN, WWF and the
secretariats of other conventions compile information on relevant
guidance, resource kits and other information on incentive measures
including those relating to the development of incentive
options.

3.1.13 Compile and
disseminate, through the CHM and other media, case-studies on best
practices on the use of incentive measures for the management of
protected areas.

3.1.14 Compile and
disseminate through the CHM and other media best practices on ways
and means to integrate the use of incentive measures into protected
area management plans, programmes and policies including
opportunities for the removal or mitigation of perverse
incentives.

Goal 3.2 - To build
capacity for the planning, establishment and management of
protected areas

Target:
By 2010, comprehensive capacity building
programmes and initiatives are implemented to develop knowledge and
skills at individual, community and institutional levels, and raise
professional standards.

Suggested activities of the
Parties

3.2.1
By 2006 complete national protected-area capacity needs
assessments, and establish capacity building programmes on the
basis of these assessments including the creation of curricula,
resources and programs for the sustained delivery of protected
areas management training.

3.2.2 Establish effective
mechanisms to document existing knowledge and experiences on
protected area management, including traditional knowledge in
accordance with Article 8 (j) and Related Provisions, and identify
knowledge and skills gaps.

3.2.3
Exchange lessons learnt, information and capacity-building
experiences among countries and relevant organizations, through the
Clearing-house Mechanisms and other means.

3.2.4
Strengthen the capacities of institutions to establish
cross-sectoral collaboration for protected area management at the
regional, national and local levels.

3.2.5
Improve the capacity of protected areas institutions to develop
sustainable financing through fiscal incentives, environmental
services, and other instruments.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

3.2.6
Cooperate with IUCN and other relevant organizations to compile and
disseminate available information.

3.2.7
Cooperate with initiatives such as the Protected Areas Learning
Network (PALNet-IUCN) and explore lessons learned from those
experiences, in collaboration with relevant
organizations.

Target:
By 2010 the development, validation, and
transfer of appropriate technologies and innovative approaches for
the effective management of protected areas is substantially
improved, taking into account decisions of the Conference of the
Parties on technology transfer and cooperation.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

3.3.1
Document and make available to the
Executive Secretary appropriate technologies for conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity of protected areas and
management of protected areas.

3.3.2
Assess needs for relevant
technologies for protected area management involving indigenous and
local communities and stakeholders such as the, research
institutions, non-Governmental organizations and the private
sector.

3.3.3
Encourage development and use of
appropriate technology, including technologies of indigenous and
local communities with their participation, approval and
involvement in accordance with Article 8(j) and Related Provisions,
for habitat rehabilitation and restoration, resource mapping,
biological inventory, and rapid assessment of biodiversity,
monitoring, in situ and ex situ
conservation, sustainable use, etc.

3.3.4
Promote an enabling environment for
the transfer of technology in accordance with decision VII/29
of the Conference of Parties on technology transfer and cooperation
to improve protected area management.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

3.3.6
Compile and disseminate information
provided by Parties and relevant international organizations on
appropriate technologies and approaches for efficient management of
protected areas and conservation and sustainable use of biological
diversity of protected areas.

Goal 3.4 - To ensure
financial sustainability of protected areas and national and
regional systems of protected areas

Target:
By 2008, sufficient financial, technical
and other resources to meet the costs to effectively implement and
manage national and regional systems of protected areas are
secured, including both from national and international sources,
particularly to support the needs of developing countries and
countries with economies in transition and small island developing
States.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

3.4.1
Conduct a national-level study by 2005 of the effectiveness in
using existing financial resources and of financial needs related
to the national system of protected areas and identify options for
meeting these needs through a mixture of national and international
resources and taking into account the whole range of possible
funding instruments, such as public funding, debt for nature swaps,
elimination of perverse incentives and subsidies, private funding,
taxes and fees for ecological services .

3.4.2 By
2008, establish and begin to implement country-level sustainable
financing plans that support national systems of protected areas,
including necessary regulatory, legislative, policy, institutional
and other measures.

3.4.3
Support and further develop international funding programmes to
support implementation of national and regional systems of
protected areas in developing countries and countries with
economies in transition and small island developing
States.

3.4.4
Collaborate with other countries to develop and implement
sustainable financing programmes for national and regional systems
of protected areas.

3.4.5 Provide regular
information on protected areas financing to relevant institutions
and mechanisms, including through future national reports under the
Convention on Biological Diversity, and to the World Database on
Protected Areas.

3.4.6
Encourage integration of protected areas needs into national and,
where applicable, regional development and financing strategies and
development cooperation programmes.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

3.4.7
Convene as soon as possible, but not later than 2005, a meeting of
the donor agencies and other relevant organizations to discuss
options for mobilizing new and additional funding to developing
countries and countries with economies in transition and small
island developing States for implementation of the programme of
work.

3.4.8
Compile and disseminate case-studies
and best practices concerning protected area financing through the
clearing-house mechanism and other media.

3.4.9
Review and disseminate by 2006
studies on the value of ecosystem services provided by protected
areas.

Goal 3.5 - To strengthen communication,
education and public awareness

Target:
By 2008 public awareness, understanding
and appreciation of the importance and benefits of protected areas
is significantly increased.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

3.5.1
Establish or strengthen strategies and programmes of education and
public awareness on the importance of protected areas in terms of
their role in biodiversity conservation and sustainable
socio-economic development, in close collaboration with the
Communication, Education and Public Awareness Initiative (CEPA)
under the Convention on Biological Diversity and targeted towards
all stakeholders.

3.5.2
Identify core themes for education, awareness and communication
programmes relevant to protected areas, including inter alia
their contribution to economy and culture to achieve specific end
results such as compliance by resource users and other stakeholders
or an increased understanding of science-based knowledge by
indigenous and local communities and policy makers and an increased
understanding of the needs, priorities and value of indigenous and
local communities' knowledge, innovations and practices by
Governments, non-Governmental organizations and other relevant
stakeholders.

3.5.3
Strengthen, and where necessary, establish information mechanisms
directed at target groups such as the private sector, policy
makers, development institutions, community-based organizations,
the youth, the media, and the general public.

3.5.4
Develop mechanisms for constructive dialogue and exchange of
information and experiences among protected-area managers, and
between protected area managers and indigenous and local
communities and their organizations and other environment educators
and actors.

3.5.5
Incorporate the subject of protected areas as an integral component
of the school curricula as well as in informal
education.

3.5.6
Establish mechanism and evaluate the impacts of communication,
education and public awareness programmes on biodiversity
conservation to ensure that they improve public awareness, change
behaviour and support the achievement of protected area
objectives.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

3.5.7
Collaborate with IUCN and other relevant organizations to collect
and disseminate educational tools and materials for adaptation and
use in the promotion of protected areas as an important means of
achieving the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity.

3.5.8
Establish, in collaboration with the IUCN and other relevant
partners, an initiative to engage the global news and entertainment
industry (television, film, popular music, internet, etc.) in a
global campaign to raise awareness of the consequences of
biological diversity loss and the important role of protected areas
in biodiversity conservation.

Goal 4.1 - To develop and
adoptminimum
standards and best practices for national and regional protected
area systems

Target:
By 2008, standards, criteria, and best
practices for planning, selecting, establishing, managing and
governance of national and regional systems of protected areas are
developed and adopted.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

4.1.1
Collaborate with other Parties and relevant organizations,
particularly IUCN, on the development, testing, review and
promotion of voluntary protected areas standards and best practices
on planning and management, governance and
participation.

4.1.2
Develop and implement an efficient, long-term monitoring system of
the outcomes being achieved through protected area systems in
relation to the goals and targets of this work
programme.

4.1.3 Draw
upon monitoring results to adapt and improve protected area
management based on the ecosystem approach.

Suggested supporting activities of the Executive
Secretary

4.1.4 In
collaboration with the key partners and based upon the best
practices promote available guidance for parties minimum standards
for planning, selecting, establishing, managing and governance of
protected area sites and systems.

4.1.5
Compile information on best practices and case-studies on effective
management of protected areas and disseminate it through
clearing-house mechanism and facilitate exchange of
information.

Goal 4.2 - To evaluate and improve the
effectiveness of protected areas management

Target:
By 2010, frameworks for monitoring,
evaluating and reporting protected areas management effectiveness
at sites, national and regional systems, and transboundary
protected area levels adopted and implemented by
Parties.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

4.2.1
Develop and adopt, by 2006, appropriate methods, standards,
criteria and indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of
protected area management and governance, and set up a related
database, taking into account the IUCN-WCPA framework for
evaluating management effectiveness, and other relevant
methodologies, which should be adapted to local
conditions.

4.2.2
Implement management effectiveness evaluations of at least 30
percent of each Party's protected areas by 2010 and of
national protected area systems and, as appropriate, ecological
networks.

4.2.3
Include information resulting from evaluation of protected areas
management effectiveness in national reports under the Convention
on Biological Diversity.

4.2.4
Implement key recommendations arising from site- and system-level
management effectiveness evaluations, as an integral part of
adaptive management strategies.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

4.2.5
Compile and disseminate information on management effectiveness
through the clearing-house mechanism and develop a database of
experts in evaluation of protected area management effectiveness
and consider the possibility of organizing an international
workshop on appropriate methods, criteria and indicators for
evaluating the effectiveness of protected area
management.

4.2.6 In
cooperation with IUCN-WCPA and other relevant organizations,
compile and disseminate information on best practices in protected
area design, establishment and management.

Goal 4.3 - To assess and
monitor protected area status and trends

Target:
By 2010, national and regional systems are
established to enable effective monitoring of protected-area
coverage, status and trends at national, regional and global
scales, and to assist in evaluating progress in meeting global
biodiversity targets.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

4.3.1
Implement national and regional programmes to monitor and assess
the status and trends of biodiversity within protected area systems
and sites.

4.3.2
Measure progress towards achieving protected area targets based on
periodic monitoring and report on progress towards these targets in
future national reports under the Convention on Biological
Diversity as well as in a thematic report at COP-9.

4.3.3
Improve and update national and regional databases on protected
areas and consolidate the World Database on Protected Areas as key
support mechanisms in the assessment and monitoring of protected
area status and trends.

4.3.4
Participate in the World Database on Protected Areas maintained by
UNEP-WCMC, and the United Nations List of Protected Areas and the
State of the World's Protected Areas assessment
process.

4.3.5
Encourage the establishment and establishment use of new
technologies including geographic information system and remote
sensing tools for monitoring protected areas.

Suggested
supporting activities of the Executive Secretary

4.3.6
Develop and consolidate working
partnerships with appropriate organizations and institutions that
have developed and maintained monitoring systems and databases on
protected areas, in particular with the UNEP‑WCMC and the
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.

4.3.7
Explore establishment of a
harmonized system and time schedule for reporting on sites
designated under the Convention on Wetlands, the World Heritage
Convention, and UNESCO MAB programme, and other regional systems,
as appropriate, taking into account the ongoing work of UNEP-WCMC
on harmonization of reporting and the IUCN protected area
management category system for reporting purpose.

4.3.8
Prepare an updated format for the
thematic report on protected areas covering, inter alia,
integration of protected areas and national systems of protected
areas into relevant sectors and spatial planning taking into
account decision VII/25 on national reporting.

Goal 4.4 - To ensure that
scientific knowledge contributes to the establishment and
effectiveness of protected areas and protected area
systems

Target:
Scientific knowledge relevant to protected
areas is further developed as a contribution to their
establishment, effectiveness, and management.

Suggested
activities of the Parties

4.4.2
Promote interdisciplinary research, to improve understanding of the
ecological social and economic aspects of protected areas,
including methods and techniques for valuation of goods and
services from protected areas

4.4.3 Encourage
studies to improve the knowledge of the distribution, status and
trends of biological diversity.

4.4.4
Encourage collaborative research between scientists and indigenous
and local communities in accordance with Article 8(j) in connection
with the establishment and the effective management of protected
areas

4.4.5
Promote the dissemination of scientific information from and on
protected areas including through the clearing-house
mechanism.

4.4.6
Promote the dissemination of, and facilitate access to, scientific
and technical information, in particular publications on protected
areas, with special attention to the needs of developing countries
and countries with economies in transition, in particular least
developed countries and small island developing States.

4.4.7
Develop and strengthen working partnerships with appropriate
organizations and institutions which undertake research studies
leading to an improved understanding of biodiversity in protected
areas.

Appendix

Indicative list of partners and other
collaborators

Partners

Convention on Conservation of Migratory
Species

Food and Agriculture
Organization

Global Environment Facility

InterGovernmental Oceanic Commission of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization

International Coral Reef
Initiative

International Maritime
Organization

International Association for Impact
Assessment

IUCN - The World Conservation
and its World Commission on Protected
Areas, Commission on Ecosystem Management, and Species Survival
Commission

International Whaling
Commission

Man and Biosphere Programme of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization

Ramsar Convention

United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change

United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea

United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification

United Nations Development
Programme

UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring
Centre

United Nations Forum on Forests

World Heritage Centre of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization

World Bank

Other
Collaborators

BirdLife
International

Conservation
International

Fauna and Flora
International

The Nature
Conservancy

Wildlife
Conservation Society

World Resources
Institute

WWF

Indigenous and
local communities

Private
sector

Other relevant
national, regional and international non-Governmental organizations
and other organizations

[62]/
The concept was described by Professor Christian Körner,
Professor of Botany at the University Basel and Chairman of the
Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment in his keynote presentation
at the eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific,
Technical and Technological Advice in March 2003 as follows:
he upland-lowland contract concept establishes joint
responsibilities between lowlanders and uplanders. Under this
concept, uplanders would, for example, be responsible for taking
care of the fragile upland mountain landscape to reduce potential
impacts on lowlanders. In return, lowlanders may be able to
provide uplanders with the products of lowland cultivated areas
(food and other resources).

[64]/
In the context of this programme of work, a generic term used in
some countries and regions, as appropriate, to encompass the
application of the ecosystem approach that integrates protected
areas into the broader land- and/or seascapes for effective
conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use

[66]/
A global network provides for the connections between
Parties, with the collaboration of others, for the exchange of
ideas and experiences, scientific and technical cooperation,
capacity building and cooperative action that mutually support
national and regional systems of protected areas which collectively
contribute to the achievement of the programme of work. This
network has no authority or mandate over national or regional
systems.

[67]/
A global network provides for the connections between Parties, with
the collaboration of others, for the exchange of ideas and
experiences, scientific and technical cooperation, capacity
building and cooperative action that mutually support national and
regional systems of protected areas which collectively contribute
to the achievement of the programme of work. This network has no
authority or mandate over national or regional systems.